For many female entrepreneurs, finding a coworking space that is functional, beautiful, and centrally located can be a challenge. However, this place does exist thanks to the vision and leadership of Bouchra Al Mehraj, founder of The Urban Woman - an inspiring coworking space in Brussels conceived for and by women.

I sat down with Bouchra to find out more about the origins of this project and how she has been able to empower the lives of many entrepreneurs by developing a community of like-minded women.

Blisshood: Bouchra, what is the story behind The Urban Woman?

Bouchra Al Mehraj: I was born and raised in Flanders (Belgium), in a very conservative Muslim family. Growing up, I was a rebel- I could not understand why I had to do things in a certain way or why I had to follow so many rules. It did not make any sense to me.

Throughout my life, I kept hearing that a woman should be a certain way because that way a man would accept you, and you’d be successful. Therefore, I buried that little rebel girl deep inside me and followed the traditional path: getting married right after my studies, having children, etc. At the age of thirty-two, I just exploded, I could not continue being that woman that everyone expected me to be: the good mother, the good wife, the good daughter, the good friend, the good sister…the good everything! I had lost myself along the way and did not know who I was anymore.

All this time, I had lived for others. It was time for me to be free.

My decision to divorce my husband led to a period of deep loneliness. I realized I had two options: to keep crying or to get up and do something. The first thing I did was to attend networking events in order to find a support system. But, I was only surrounded by white women who did not share the same cultural and socioeconomic background. They had a family, lots of support, someone to take care of their children, financial stability, and I did not have any of this at that moment. So, I could not share my story with them because it was simply not the same.

Around that time, I also decided to quit my job as HR director and started traveling a lot.

After a trip to Bali, I had this vision of having a place where women can come, work and develop themselves on a personal and professional level. Also, the mission and vision of The Urban Woman came to life: to give women the tools and the empowerment to build their lives on their own terms, so they can also impact other women and society.

Blisshood: One of the things you are working on at The Urban Woman is increasing diversity among members in terms of culture, background, and professional skills, can you let me know more about this initiative?

Bouchra Al Mehraj: Yes, the women that come here are from all over the world and have different professional skills. There are women that work in finance, law, some are stylists, others work in tech, some are gender policy experts…anything you can imagine, we have them here. At The Urban Woman, we are creating an ecosystem where women can help each other right here instead of looking for services elsewhere. I really think that as women with diverse cultural backgrounds, we need to build something together.

Blisshood: You also offer masterclasses, how do you choose the topics that are offered?

Bouchra Al Mehraj: In 2022, I decided that I want to offer things that have meaning. For example, we have movie nights every last Friday of the month. We project a movie or documentary about what women have done in history or as entrepreneurs, so we can learn from them. Afterward, we discuss the film, how we can take steps together to create things, and even bring some of those ideas to this space.

Some attendees are starting their entrepreneurship journey. After the movie and talking to the other women, ideas start to pop up. It is great to see this creative energy flow.

Additionally, we have networking brunches every second Sunday of the month. Women come here to have brunch, there is a speaker, and we talk about themes that really concern us. It could be, women and finances or women and communication, for example. The last topic was “Remote working and women”. The next one will be “How to Achieve my Goals”.

Finally, we offer a Masterclass that lasts several days. The upcoming one will start in March. We start from the basics: how do I go from an idea to creating a business out of it? Additional modules revolve around “How to make a business plan”, “How to make a financial plan”, “How to deal with stressful moments”, “How to stay aligned with your vision”, communication, plus social media.

And, obviously, we have the coworking aspect. Women can come here to work and meet other female entrepreneurs. So these are really the things I want to focus on in 2022.

Blisshood: Some great news for entrepreneurs in Brussels is that the government offers a small stipend to cover their coworking expenses. How does it work? Can they use it to come to The Urban Woman?

Bouchra Al Mehraj: Yes. Because we are recognized as an official coworking space, it means that when you live in Brussels and you have a project (not even a business), then the government gives you four hundred and fifty euros once to be able to pay for your subscription at the Urban Woman, for example. Some women pay for our monthly subscription and with the remaining money, they buy a ten entry pass, for example. The only conditions are: you need to live in Brussels and you need to show that you have a project.

Blisshood: Why did you choose to name the meeting rooms after famous women such as Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou or Fatima al-Fihri?

Bouchra Al Mehraj: Fatima al-Fihri was a Tunisian woman that immigrated to Morocco and in the 19th century built the first university in the world. This university is still present in Morocco, in the city of Fez. Her story was that her father died, left her a lot of money, and she wanted to educate her community. Thus, she built the first university in the world where women and men can come and study. For me, her story is very powerful because very few people knew that the first university in the world was built by a woman in Africa.

Women have done so much in history, but it is not always mentioned…

In the case of Rosa Parks, I believe that women are change-makers. Thanks to her courage and audacity, she changed the rules.

Maya Angelou is one of my favorites. Although I did not meet her, I have so much compassion and admiration for her, for everything that she has done, for her talent…for expressing her feelings through writing. To me, the most beautiful poem is “Phenomenal Woman”… how she expressed the pride she feels in being a woman. I thought she has to have a place at The Urban Woman. So, that is how I chose those women.

Blisshood: Last question, what is your advice to other female entrepreneurs that perhaps have faced challenges similar to yours?

Bouchra Al Mehraj: First, accept your past and everything you have been through. Second, know that if you have been through all this, it is because you are destined to make something out of it. Use it to share your story with the world. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and that are positive thinkers. And just, trust in life, really. Trust the process.